Bujinkan Lineage
Bujinkan History
Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu (武神館武道体術) is a Japanese martial art originating from Nodashi, Chiba-ken, Japan. The head of the Bujinkan, or Soke (宗家, "head of the family"), is Masaaki Hatsumi (初見良昭; 1931—). Originally a practitioner of judo and soccer in his youth, Hatsumi Soke traveled to Kobe, Japan to meet Soke Toshitsugu Takamatsu (高松寿嗣; 1889-1972) and study his kobudo (古武道; old/traditional martial arts) for fifteen years (~1958 to 1972). Over that time he learned Takamatsu Sensei’s unique martial arts, kata, waza, buki, and kuden, leading to inheriting nine distinct martial arts ryu-ha (流, "schools" or "lineages") from Takamatsu Sensei. As a result of these studies, Hatsumi Soke created the Bujinkan organization (武神館, "warrior spirit hall") in honor of his teacher’s martial arts. Hatsumi Soke then spent nearly fifty years exploring and sharing his Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu martial arts out of Nodashi, Japan and later from his Bujinkan Hombu Dojo (本部; headquarters) along with performing seminars around the world. Hatsumi Soke publicly retired in 2019.
Bujinkan Ryu-ha (Lineages)
Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu martial arts are influenced from nine ryu-ha of which Hatsumi Soke is the inheritor of. It is the culmination of these nine ryu-ha that Dr. Hatsumi used as the basis for the Bujinkan. The nine ryu-ha are:
Togakure Ryu Ninpo Taijutsu | Hidden Door School | 1161 | 戸隠流忍法体術
Gyokko Ryu Kosshijutsu | Jewel Tiger School |1156 | 玉虎流骨指術
Kukishinden Ryu Happo Bikenjutsu | Nine Demon School | 1336 | 九鬼神伝流八法秘剣術
Koto Ryu Koppojutsu | Tiger Knocking Down School | 1532 | 虎倒流骨法術
Shinden Fudo Ryu Dakentaijutsu | Immovable Heart School | 1113 | 神傳不動流打拳体術
Takagi Yoshin Ryu Jutaijutsu | High Tree, Raised Heart School | 1625 | 高木揚心流柔体術
Gikan Ryu Koppojutsu | Truth, Loyalty, and Justice School | 1558 | 義鑑流骨法術
Gyokushin Ninpo Taijutsu | Jeweled Heart School | 1532 | 玉心流忍法体術
Kumogakure Ryu Ninpo Taijutsu | Hiding in the Clouds School | 1532 | 雲隠流忍法体術
Three of the nine ryu are of ninpo decent (Togakure Ryu, Kumogakure Ryu, & Gyokushin Ryu), making the history of the Bujinkan slightly more difficult to understand without proper historical interpretation by an authentic teacher.
Although students are taught multiple techniques from the nine ryu, Dr. Hatsumi teaches the culmination of these lineages as one martial arts body, of which he has titled "Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu". Therefore, students of the Dayton Bujinkan Dojo are tested & licensed in Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu, not the specific lineages.
Bujinkan Sokeship Succession
In late 2019 at the age of 88 years old, Hatsumi Soke retired from 50+ years of public teaching and awarded certificates of sokeship to select senior Japanese Bujinkan practitioners. Below is a Bujinkan Soke lineage tree and the publicly announced inheritors of specific Bujinkan ryu-ha.
…From Lineage to Community
What is taught at the Dayton Bujinkan Dojo comes from the Bujinkan lineage listed above. The dojo’s instruction descends through direct study with Bujinkan Mentors in Japan and through their visits to the United States.
Since 1997, the Dayton Bujinkan Dojo has taught the kata, waza, buki, and kuden of the Bujinkan to students in the Dayton community and to practitioners abroad, carrying the same material forward to the next generation.
